Lea este artículo en español aquí.
A survivor of the Sudanese civil war, refugee and author Daniel Ukang will visit Hollister on May 31 to discuss his experiences chronicled in his book, “Hinterlands of Hope.”
Hosted by Hill’s Bookstore as part of its author speaking engagement series, Ukang will appear at 10 a.m. at the SDES Portuguese Hall, 697 Seventh Street. The event is free and open to the public.
Ukang is part of a group known as the Lost Boys of Sudan, which has been documented in such books and documentaries as a 2004 PBS feature titled “Lost Boys of Sudan.”
Hill’s Bookstore co-owner Adam Hill told BenitoLink the upcoming author talk is their third since opening in March.
“We are trying to bring authors to Hollister several times a year,” he said.
Ukang will be joined by his wife, Mary, who will also share her experiences as a refugee of the civil war.
“Nobody knows anything about the Lost Girls of Sudan,” Hill said. “But they also had the same exact journey for safety and experiences living in refugee camps. They struggled equally.”
According to Hill, “Hinterlands of Hope” is part of the Hollister School District’s seventh and eighth grade reading curriculum.“So this is Daniel’s second year visiting Hollister to speak to those children and meet them,” he said.
“I can’t describe to you the feelings I had after reading ‘Hinterland’s of Hope,’” Hill said. “It’s mind blowing what Daniel went through, survived, endured and witnessed.”
Hill said he and his wife, Kimberly, opted to reserve the Portuguese Hall instead of holding the event at their bookstore with the expectation of a larger crowd and the local “seventh and eighth graders who have read this book.”
“We wanted to offer an opportunity for their parents and family to meet Daniel and Mary, to hear their story and be able to ask them questions,” he said.
Copies of “Hinterlands of Hope” will be available, and Ukang will be signing books after the presentation. Complimentary refreshments and cookies from Vegano Bakery will also be on hand.
“This truly is one of those inspirational stories about overcoming, perseverance, and dealing with grief and forgiveness,” Hill said. “We just hope for as many people in the community as possible to be able to hear their story, meet Daniel and to be inspired.”
We need your help. Support local, nonprofit news! BenitoLink is a nonprofit news website that reports on San Benito County. Our team is committed to this community and providing essential, accurate information to our fellow residents. Producing local news is expensive, and community support keeps the news flowing. Please consider supporting BenitoLink, San Benito County’s public service nonprofit news.